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Kim Casimbon

As the first in my family to attend college in the United States, I felt that I had a responsibility to help achieve my parents’ dreams: obtain a college degree and establish a career. Unfortunately, due to my parents’ divorce when I was younger, my mother became a single mom who had to work two to three jobs to provide for our family. Therefore, the dream of attending college became an unrealistic financial burden.

After high school, I decided to attend Montgomery College (MC) not knowing what my next steps would be. I was fortunate to have met a counselor at MC who taught me about the Universities at Shady Grove (USG) and the transfer process. When I found out that UMBC offered a Psychology program at USG, I immediately started planning the courses that I needed to take in order to graduate with my Associates degree and meet UMBC’s admissions requirements. I transferred to UMBC at USG in fall 2012. During my two years as an undergrad at USG, I was involved in multiple student organizations including the Student Council, UMBC’s Peer Advisory Team, and I became a Student Orientation Leader. I also worked at the Center for Academic Success as a student office assistant, where I continued to work even after I graduated from UMBC in May 2014.

After graduation, I attended Johns Hopkins University to attend their master’s program in counseling. I graduated from the program in May 2016. Though I enjoyed the program, I knew I was destined for something else. Thus, I decided to pursue my current program. I chose the University of Maryland, College Park’sM.Ed. in Human Development program because the courses are offered at USG and the class times compliment my full-time work schedule. I currently work at Towson University at USG; therefore, I can come to class right after work with only a few steps for my commute.

Additionally, because I am both a staff and a student at USG, I have the opportunity of participating in events for professional and personal development as well as give back to the community through committee involvement. Moreover, I enjoy the program because I am learning about strategies of how to effectively work with students of various ages from diverse backgrounds. I plan to graduate in May 2019 and continue to work within higher education. I hope to apply to a doctorate program to earn my PhD degree within the next few years. As for my future career, I would like to become an academic advisor to help students achieve their academic and career goals and be active contributors in our community.

During my two years as an undergrad at USG, I was involved in multiple student organizations including the Student Council, UMBC’s Peer Advisory Team, and I became a Student Orientation Leader. I also worked at the Center for Academic Success as a student office assistant, where I continued to work even after I graduated from UMBC.